Lawful-Legal | Commonly Confused Words

Lawful

/ˈlɔːfəl/

Allowed by the rules or laws

The contract was deemed lawful by the court.Her lawful duty was to report the findings.Only lawful actions were taken to resolve the issue.

/'liːg(ə)l/

Something that is allowed by the law or follows the rules set by the government

A great legal mistake.'As a legal point.'I don't think legal justice has really been done me."

Lawful emphasizes adherence to the law itself, while legal stresses the technicalities within the law.
Lawful can also imply something that is not prohibited by law, even if not explicitly permitted, while legal means it is permitted by law.
In philosophical discussions, lawful might relate to natural or moral law, whereas legal aligns more with statutory law.
You might describe an action as lawful if no known statutes are violated, but legal if it follows a specific law.
Something might be lawful in a broader, moral context, while being illegal if it violates specific statutes.